Christmas Future
by JanetD
Summary: A (hopeful) look at how Nick might be spending his Christmas a few years from now.


**Title:** Christmas Future  
**Date Written:** 12/21/02  
**Author: **JanetD  
**Rating:** G  
**Summary:** A (hopeful) look at how Nick might be spending Christmas a few years from now.  
**Author's Notes**: I haven't yet caught up with posting my backlog of stories at fanfiction.net, but since I wrote this one for Christmas I decided I would go ahead and post it now.  
**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. The characters in this story are borrowed from the TV show "The Guardian". No money is being made from this story. Any resemblance of a character in this story to any real person living or dead is purely coincidental. Likewise, any resemblance between an organization depicted in this story and any such actual organization is purely coincidental.  
  
Snow was falling softly as the late-model Mercedes sedan pulled into the circular driveway in front of the comfortable two-story home. The snowfall had started early in the morning, and there was now a good three inches blanketing the yards of this pleasant, upper-middle-class neighborhood. Nick Fallin stopped the car, and glanced over at the woman seated beside him. he said, we're not staying long.  
  
Nick, it's Christmas, his wife Cheryl said cajolingly. And you know how much your father enjoys seeing Jeffrey.  
  
At the sound of his name, 19-month-old Jeffrey David Fallin laughed. Both his parents turned to look back at him with fond smiles. He was a beautiful child with a head of blonde curls and big blue eyes. He looked like a little angel, despite being dressed in a sturdy blue nylon coat with a hood that had fallen back from his head. Jeffrey asked excitedly. That's right, Cheryl answered. We're going to go see Paw-Paw. She fixed Nick with a smile and reached over to give her husband's forearm a squeeze. Then she opened the car door to get out. Nick followed suit. Once out of the car, he opened the rear door to retrieve Jeff. He unbuckled the little boy from the car seat, and then pulled him up and into his arms. Meanwhile, Cheryl had retrieved the diaper bag and the gift for Burton from where they lay on the floor of the back seat. Pulling the hood up on his son's head, Nick waited for Cheryl to round the car, and then together they walked up to the front door. Jeffrey was fascinated by the big flakes of snow floating through the air, and stuck out his hand trying to catch some. He laughed with delight as a few cold flakes landed on his open palm.  
  
Reaching the door, Nick rang the bell. In no time the door was swung open, and they were being greeted enthusiastically by a smiling Burton Fallin. Well, come on in. Come on in. As they entered the house, Burton reached for Cheryl and gave her a kiss on the cheek, thinking again what a pretty girl Nick had chosen for his wife. She was about 5'7 with light brown hair and lovely hazel eyes. She always had a ready smile, and Burton liked that too. Nick had done all right for himself, he thought. Yes he had. Burton said next, sticking out his hand to Nick. Nick shook his father's hand while Burton's attention was already turning to the child in Nick's arms.   
  
And how's my grandson? Burton said warmly. How's my boy, huh? He stuck his hands out to Jeff, and said, Come on, come to Grandpa.... Jeff reached his own arms forward eagerly, and allowed himself to be lifted into his grandfather's arms. Hi, Jeffie, Burton said, leaning his head in close to the little boy's. Do you like that snow outside? What do you think of that, huh? As he began to release his grandson's arms from his coat, he said to the two adults, Take off your coats, and come on in. I've got eggnog, or I can make some coffee.  
  
We can't stay long, Dad, Nick said.   
  
But we've got time for a little eggnog, Cheryl added quickly. I'd love some.  
  
Well, fine, fine. Burton waited while Nick and Cheryl hung up their coats, and then said, Let's go on into the kitchen. How, uh, how were the roads?  
  
They were fine, Nick replied. The only place we had a little trouble was getting up Branson Hill.  
  
Burton nodded. Yeah, that one can be tricky.   
  
Reaching the kitchen, Burton sat Jeff down in a chair by the counter, and opened the refrigerator to retrieve the eggnog. Then he pulled three tumblers down from the cabinet, along with a juice glass for little Jeff. As he poured the eggnog, he glanced at Nick to make sure his son wasn't going to refuse to have some. Here you go, he said, as he began to hand around the glasses. At just that moment, Jeffrey spotted a plate of cookies that were sitting on the counter a little distance from his chair. He stood up in his seat, and stretched his little body precariously forward. Jeffie, no!, Cheryl and Nick said simultaneously, as all three adults started to move toward the little boy. Cheryl was the closest, and in an instant had her arms around her son and was pulling him back down into the chair. No, honey, not like that. You might fall.   
  
Cookie, wanna cookie, Jeff said, and smiled winningly at his mother.  
  
So, you want a cookie, huh? Burton replied. Sure, you can have a cookie, sweetheart. Just don't give your ole granddad a heart attack, okay? He reached for a cookie, and then presented it to the toddler.  
  
What do you say? Cheryl prompted her son.  
  
Tank you, Jeff replied. Tank you, Paw-Paw.  
  
Burton reached forward, and tousled the blonde curls.  
  
Cheryl pulled Jeffery's chair up closer to the counter, and the older Fallins stood around the kitchen and drank their eggnog while watching the little boy work on his cookie. In no time Jeff had a crumbly mess on the counter top. I'm sorry, Cheryl said to her father-in-law. He's still a messy eater.  
  
No, no, it's all right, Burton assured her. That's just kids.  
  
After Jeffrey had made his way through a second cookie, Cheryl wiped his face and hands, and then scooted the cookie crumbs off the counter and into the trash. Burton picked up his grandson, and began to lead the way into the living room. Cheryl retrieved Burton's gift from where she'd placed it on the counter, and then she and Nick followed along behind, Nick's hand resting comfortably on the small of his wife's back.  
  
As they walked into the living room, Nick was surprised to see that his father had put up a tree. He hadn't done that in years. It was a big White Pine, and was covered in colored lights and ornaments. Looking closer, Nick could recognize several of the decorations, including a few of the ornaments he had made himself as a kid. He didn't know Dad even still had those. Huh.  
  
There were three big presents and a couple smaller gifts sitting under the tree. Here we are, Burton said, kneeling down, and placing Jeff on his feet beside him. Pointing at the three big presents, he added, Those are for you, Jeffie.  
  
Nick protested. That's too much.  
  
Keeping his eyes on Jeff, Burton replied, Don't be a spoilsport, Nicholas. Can't a man spoil his own grandchild?  
  
Nick looked over at his wife with exasperation. Cheryl raised one eyebrow and smiled at him. She moved over and put an arm around his back, and they stood together arm-in-arm watching while Jeff attempted to tear the paper off the first gift. With some help from his grandpa, the little boy succeeded in ripping off the paper to get to the box below. It was a set of styrofoam building blocks. The picture on the box showed a child of about three standing in the middle of a castle build of the colorful blocks. Nick stared. He'd had a set of blocks like that when he was a kid. He'd had a great time with them. They were a lot more fun than the smaller building blocks most kids had had. He first thought that maybe these were his own blocks, but the box was new, and besides he remembered the terrible shape his set had been in the last time he'd seen it. The styrofoam blocks were great fun, but not very durable.  
  
Burton saw Nick looking at the box, and said, You had some like this, remember, son?  
  
  
  
I don't recall seeing these kind of blocks before, Cheryl remarked, as Burton opened the box to let Jeff have a look inside. Where'd you find them?  
  
Oh, it wasn't easy. But persistence usually pays off in the end...  
  
After letting Jeffrey explore the open box of blocks for a minute or two, Burton drew the child's attention to the next package. In moments it was open, and Burton lifted out a toddler's tricycle. It was painted bright blue and yellow, with tassles hanging off the handle bars. Jeff immediately reached for the tassles and started to play with them.  
  
The third and biggest box held an unassembled toddler's picnic table. Where are we going to put that? Nick wondered to himself, slightly disgruntled. Jeff's room was already full. Well, maybe in the sun room, he decided.  
  
After Jeff had opened the last present his attention was pulled back to the tricycle. Burton helped him to climb on, then grabbed the camera that he had sitting nearby. He snapped several pictures of the toddler as he rode the bike around the living room. Both Nick and Cheryl stood guard, ready to turn Jeff around when he was getting too close to a piece of furniture or a wall. After a few minutes, Nick said, Okay, buddy, that's enough, and lifted the child off the trike. When Jeff began to squirm and cry in protest, Cheryl walked quickly into the front hallway to retrieve the diaper bag. As she came back into the living room, she was already pulling out one of her son's favorite toys--a rubber Mickey Mouse. She handed it to him, and Jeff immediately quieted in his father's arms, bringing the toy to his mouth to chew on Mickey's ear.  
  
Well, said Burton, you two need to open your gifts. He started to head back to the Christmas tree, but Cheryl stopped him by saying, No, Burton. It's your turn. You go first.   
  
Well, okay.  
  
Cheryl picked up Burton's gift from where she'd placed it on the coffee table, and handed it to him. He moved over to the couch, and sat down. As his son and daughter-in-law looked on, Burton unwrapped the package and quickly discovered that it held a pair of expensive leather gloves. Well, that's fine, Burton said, picking them up from the box. Thank you, Cheryl...Nick. He pulled a glove onto one hand, and held it up to show them. Fits like a glove, he said with a laugh. Nick's mouth creased in a smile, while Cheryl laughed along with her father-in-law. At the sound of his mother's laughter, Jeff laughed as well. Nick smile broadened as he looked down at the little boy in his arms.  
  
Burton took off the glove, placed the box on the couch, and got up. Walking over to the tree, he picked up a shirt box, and brought it over to his son's wife. Here you go, Cheryl, he said, fixing her with a warm smile. I hope you like it. Cheryl smiled in return, and took the gift. She sat down in a nearby upholstered chair to open it. Nick walked over, and took the chair next to her, placing Jeff in his lap. The child's attention was quickly drawn to the brightly wrapped gift that his mother held, and he said, Momma, Momma as he watched her open the package. Removing the paper and drawing off the lid, Cheryl found a beautiful blue cashmere sweater. It's lovely, she said, running a hand softly across the collar. Thank you, Burton.  
  
You're welcome, honey. I'm glad you like it. Retrieving the last gift from under the tree, Burton presented it to Nick. Nick took the package with a murmured , and set it lightly on Jeff's lap. You want to help Daddy open this, Jeff? he asked. Jeff nodded, and began to try to pull at the paper. Nick got a corner loose so his son could get a good hold, and a piece of paper came off in Jeff's hands. In another moment, the paper was off. As Nick took the box back from Jeff, Cheryl reached over and lifted the little boy into her own lap. Glancing curiously at his father, Nick began to open the box. Inside lay an 8x10 photograph in a beautiful silver frame. The picture showed a young girl of about nine or ten years old, smiling directly into the camera. She had long brown hair and a touch of mischief in her eyes. As Cheryl leaned over to look at the picture, Burton said, It's your mother, Nicholas. I found it up in, uh...up in one of the old boxes in the attic. I had it restored and framed for you. Nick didn't say anything, just stared at the photograph as a delighted smile spread across his face. Suddenly Jeff reached out a hand trying to grab the picture. No, no, Nick said quickly, moving the box out of his son's reach. Wait a minute, Jeff. Daddy will show it to you. He picked the photo up out of the box, and held it up for the boy to see.   
  
That's your grandmother, Jeffie, Cheryl said, giving her son a squeeze. That's Daddy's momma. Jeff reached for the photo again, and this time Nick let him have it, but kept one of his own hands on the picture, as well. Jeff asked questioningly, looking at the picture and then up at his own mother. Daddy's momma, sweetie. That's a picture of Daddy's momma from when she was a little girl.  
  
Thanks, Dad, Nick said with quiet sincerity, looking up to meet his father's eyes for the first time since he'd opened the package. Thank you.   
  
Burton smiled at him. You're welcome, son. He held his son's gaze for another moment, then rubbed his hands together and said with enthusiasm, Okay, who's ready for some more eggnog?  
  
The End


End file.
